Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou quits ahead of World Cup

Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou has sensationally turned his back on the Australian football team less than a week after guiding the side to a fourth straight FIFA World Cup.

Postecoglou’s future had long been a subject of discussion, with the 52-year-old clearly unhappy with elements of the football community throughout 2017.

But after helping the Socceroos reach the World Cup, he told ABC TV it would have to be a “fairly compelling” reason for him to walk away.

It was a reason he clearly found, though, with an emotional Postecoglou telling a media conference that “after a great deal of thought and soul-searching, I’ve decided that the journey for me ends as Socceroos coach.”

“As I’ve said many times, it’s been the biggest privilege of my life and probably not the ending I had envisaged when we started, but at the same time, knowing it’s the right time for me and the right decision,” he added.

Postecoglou said there was no “tipping point” but “it’s just an instinct and I just think it’s the right time for me, for the team. As tough a decision as it is, for me it feels like the right time.”

Football Federation Australia [FFA] chief executive David Gallop said he was “puzzled” by the decision.

“I’m disappointed and I guess still a bit puzzled, but I’m supportive of the notion that sometimes you reach a point where you just know that you need to do something new,” Gallop said.

Postecoglou confirmed he has international coaching aspirations.

“The reality is we’ve been looking at those options anyway. I want to coach abroad,” he said.

“I have loved this job but it’s been all encompassing. I don’t want to be unemployed for too long but I probably need to gather my thoughts.”

Gallop said that he had “a bit of time” before appointing a new Australian coach, given the Socceroos don’t play again until March.

He added that there were “enormous advantages of having an Australia in this position … all of that is important … but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee that we will be able to appoint an Australian.”

Gallop said it was too early to say whether the FFA would appoint a short-term candidate or someone who could take the Socceroos through the “next cycle”.

Postecoglou watched from the sidelines last week as Australian captain Mile Jedinak scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Honduras in Sydney to qualify for Russia 2018.